1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a word processor provided with a handwriting text processing function, and more particularly to a word processor using a pointing device such as a pen, a mouse, a track ball or the like to enable handwritten input of various text processing instructions such as a deletion or an insertion of characters, screen scroll, and cursor movement.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the preparation and text processing of documents, most of conventional word processors and small business computers execute text processing instructions, such as deletion or insertion of characters, screen scroll, and cursor movement, through a predetermined key input from a keyboard. On the other hand, word processors provided with a pointing device such as a pen, a mouse, a track ball or the like use a pointing device to designate a position of a document displayed on a screen which enables execution of an text processing instruction through a pen-up and a pen-down operation for drawing a predetermined figure on the screen. In other words, such word processors execute text processing instructions by designating a position at which the instruction is to be executed and providing a handwritten figure corresponding to an text processing instruction to be executed at that point in the document. For example, drawing a vertical line segment (i.e., a handwritten figure) of appropriate length in the downward direction from an upper portion on a screen using a mouse executes an up-scroll function to display a document at a position prior to the current position by one screen.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. SHO 63-206827 describes a display scroll mode using such a pointing device where a display image is moved at a natural speed appropriate for the operational sense of users by a designated movement amount designated with a printing device on a touch panel. In addition, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. HEI 3-150625 describes a method for entering instructions, such as deletion and insertion of characters, and spacing by drawing a predetermined pattern with a pointing device. Fewer kinds of patterns are used with a pattern having the same configuration but drawn in a different direction corresponding to two instructions.
Furthermore, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. SHO 57-113135 describes a method for entering cursor information using a tablet separate from a screen and an apparatus using the same method. A cursor is moved using coordinate data output from a tablet control circuit as coordinate data for a cursor and sending a difference between two consecutive cursor coordinate data as cursor movement information to a display.
As described above, when using word processors where various document text processing functions are initiated by drawing predetermined figures on a display screen with a pointing device, users are required to memorize all the various text processing figures. Handwritten text processing figures preferably remind users of corresponding text processing functions. However, when more text processing functions are provided, the number of text processing figures to remember increases also.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. HEI 3-150625 provides a larger number of text processing functions without increasing the number and kind of text processing figures by allocating plural text processing functions to the same figure and distinguishing between those text processing functions by drawing the same figure in different directions.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. SHO 57-113135 describes a method for entering cursor information. When a cursor position is moved by placing a pen on a desired character on a screen, the pen must be placed on a tablet while the user looks at the screen. However, the pen may not be placed at the desired tablet position so that the cursor is not moved to the desired screen position. Thus, a cursor information input method is required which has a simple structure and operation.